Bay Village man still missing; presumed lost while hiking in Colorado

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A Bay Village man who was supposed to be hiking Mount Harvard, which is near Buena Vista, Colo., had not been found late Tuesday afternoon, according to a dispatcher from the Chaffee County (Colo.) Sheriff's Department.

Gene George, 64, whom friends described as an experienced hiker, had told a friend by telephone Sept. 18 he was planning the hike for the next day or Sept. 20.

On Sunday, George failed to check out of his motel room as scheduled, which caused motel staff to call police in Buena Vista.

Police found George’s vehicle
parked and locked at the North Cottonwood Creek trail head. A search
mission was launched that same afternoon and continued Sept. 23 and today.

The dispatcher at the sheriff's office said a command post had been established near where George's car had been found and that authorities from at least nine law-enforcement and rescue agencies were involved in the search. That included at least 60 people on foot, along with searchers on horseback and search dogs.

Undersheriff John Spezze told cleveland.com the weather in the area Sept. 20 and 21 was mild and dry, but that it got cold and windy and snowed on Sunday.

"That made it difficult to pick up any footprints made before Sunday," Spezze said.

The search is being conducted at an altitude of about 10,000 feet.

"It will get pretty cold here tonight," Spezze said.

The undersheriff added that his agency is often called to search for missing hikers in the area. He said concern about wild animals is not an issue for the searchers or for George. The area is about 100 miles south of Denver.

David Jerome, a resident of Lakewood, is a lifelong friend of George. He said George was scheduled to return to Cleveland on Sunday.

Jerome said George has been going to Colorado to hike for more than 20 years.

"I was unaware until we learned this morning he's been missing," Jerome said. "I'm very worried."

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